WEST COVINA >> All of the candidates running for West Covina city government positions appeared for the first time together at a candidate forum put on by the League of Women Voters Wednesday.

The forum allowed the audience to question the city clerk, city treasurer and nine council candidates.

Most of the candidates repeatedly dropped “transparency,” “public safety” or both as campaign goals during the forum.

The most differing opinions came from the two candidates running for city clerk, Nick Lewis and Herb Redholtz. Their campaigns could be called opposites, as Lewis and Redholtz disagreed on the basic question of whether the city clerk should even exist.

“Right now, this position is nothing more than a figurehead,” Lewis said. “I’m running to retire this position.”

The city’s appointed assistant city clerk does the actual work, but the elected figure still costs the city thousands despite not having any real power, Lewis said. Redholtz promised to act as the “eyes and ears” of the public, noting more could be done with the position.

Incumbent city treasurer Marian Smithson, a certified public accountant who has held the elected position for 20 years, said there are also few duties the city treasurer actually has. She said she reviews periodic financial documents and offers oversight to the financial department. Her opponent Colleen Rozatti, a former bank employee, promised a easier-to-read budget and more communication with the public about the city’s finances.

The bulk of the nearly three-hour forum focused on the nine council candidates. The candidates are former appointed councilwoman Karin Armbrust; Kimberly Caceres, a government affairs director; Armando D’Avila, a Los Angeles County corrections employee; community activist Lloyd Johnson; current West Covina Unified Board Member Mike Spence; deputy district attorney James Toma; retired businessman Corey Warshaw; and current council appointees Rob Sotelo and Andrew McIntyre.

The election represents the first in years without an incumbent.

Every candidate called for more police officers and firefighters at least once during the forum. Many said the city must increase revenue to do this, while others offered more specific solutions. The city’s public safety numbers remain very low, according to the candidates.

Johnson said at least one officer could come from eliminating the benefits for council members. Toma, Johnson, Caceres and Warshaw pointed to costly litigation siphoning funds.

Armbrust, D’Avila, Spence, Caceres and Warshaw also called for a review of the budgets.

“I think the numbers have been played with, but I can’t prove that today,” Warshaw said.

Sotelo incorrectly said the city council voted to add two police officers at its Oct. 1 meeting, though council only discussed potentially earmarking money-saved from a loan refinancings for public safety. When asked how to fix the city’s financial problems, Sotelo said the city is actually growing, which prompted a groan from the crowd.

“Everything is going better right now,” he said. “Believe it or not.”

A number of candidates sidestepped questions — McIntyre and Sotelo avoided answering how much money they’d raised for their campaign, while the others gave at least rough estimates. Toma’s admitted $48,000 towered over those who did disclose the amount. Four said they’d raised less than $10,000. Armbrust had the second highest admitted amount with roughly $23,000, followed by Spence with $10,000. Most could not provide who their biggest contributor is.

Every candidate claimed to have voted in every election since they legally could, except Warshaw who noted he missed one while out of town.

None of the candidates outright supported switching from a city-controlled fire department to the county. Johnson, Spence and Warshaw pointed toward a 1997 vote against the switch as their reason for not supporting it now. Others noted they would want to fully investigate the options and consult with the public before making a decision.

Jason Henry is a staff reporter for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and Pasadena Star-News. He covers Pasadena, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech and the City of Industry. Raised in Ohio, Jason began his career at a suburban daily near Cleveland before moving to California in 2013. He is a self-identified technophile, data nerd and a wannabe drone pilot. The 2011 graduate of Bowling Green State University likes to shock his city friends by sharing his hometown's population.

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